One Last Mission
by Zowe
Summary: Not long after the end of Endless Waltz Heero perpares to leave again and reflects on his reasons for going.


Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.

AN: This fic takes place not long after the end of Endless Waltz. Also, I'm working on the assumption that after Heero passed out Relena took him to hospital. With that said enjoy the fic, and please review when you are finished. My email is avalon585@yahoo.com

One Last Mission

By Aya

Heero stuffed the last of his few belongs into the backpack, and slung the bag over his shoulder. He started for the door, but before he could reach it he glanced back at Relena's sleeping form. Her head rested on the edge of the hospital bed that he had occupied until recently. The moon light shone threw the window, and cast silver highlights in her hair. Instead of reaching the door he walked to her side. A few strands of honey colored hair lay across her face, and brushed them a way. He felt a pang, of what he thought might be guilt at what he was about to do.

He was and leaving her, again, and going on another mission. This was his most important mission ever, and he was doing it for her. He couldn't give her the life she wanted with him, not yet. She was living in the light, while he was still trapped in the shadows. He desperately wanted to join her in the light, but he did not know how. That was why he had to leave, he had to find a way to leave the shadows, to reclaim his forgotten humanity. He knew that it would be hard, and that it probably would not be a pleasant mission, but he had to do it. It was the only way from him to ever be able to join her in the light. 

He knew that she would be upset, she would probably even cry, that he left while she slept without even saying goodbye. However, that was as a necessary as his mission. If she was awake, he knew that she would ask him not to go, and that he would no more able to resist her plea then he was able to killing her. He had considered leaving a note for her, but he knew that a note was not an adequate way to say goodbye to her. Besides, he couldn't find a pen any where in the hospital room. 

Heero pushed the guilt out his mind. Now, was not the time to be having second thoughts, he had to leave now, before she woke up. He moved away from the bedside, and Relena's side, for the door. He carefully opened it, and light spilled into the dark room from the hallway. With one last look at Relena, bathed in the hallway's florescent lights, he left the room. 

He casually wandered though the hospital's hall ways, careful not to arouse suspicion. He knew that if security found him they would take him back to his room, and make sure he stayed there until the doctors discharged him. Eventually, Heero found an exit from the hospital that opened up on to a city street. Perhaps during the day the street would have been crowded with people and cars, but at this late hour it was empty save for Heero. 

A feeling of freedom, that came only to one used to living in a constant state of motion, washed over him. He had to admit that his reasons for leaving were not entirely for Relena. Even thought he had only been in the hospital a few days he had sorely missed being able to travel any where he wanted, when ever he wanted. It was a freedom he was not willing to give up quite yet.

After wandering the streets of the sleeping city Heero realized that he had no idea where he was. This city was completely foreign to him. A slight smile tugged at his lips. How ironic that he had once been able to identify the exact room, floor, and building he had occupied while in the hospital, not long after his initial arrival on Earth, by simply staring at the ceiling. Now, he couldn't even name this city, not that it mattered. This nameless city was as good a place as any to start his mission.

Where would a person go to find the humanity that he had lost as a child, he wondered. Lost emotions are not something that one could just go to the lost and found box for. What troubled him further was how would he tell if he had found it. It had been so long since he had really felt something, would he be able to recognize it? Maybe, when he did find his humanity he would be so overwhelmed that he would not be able to accept it, and then he would retreat further into his shadows, further away from Relena. 

He pushed the thoughts of failure away. Heero would not fail, this mission was too important to screw up. He would over come every barrier that stood before him, no matter how arduous a task it was. He would succeed because once he had he would able to have Relena, and gave her everything she wanted. Another smile tugged at his lips, the reward for success would be great. No, not just great, they would be fantastic.

Heero wandered through the city for hours, unsure of how to proceed with his mission. Somehow, he managed to find a taxi in the city's dead streets. Riding in the cab for a while seemed like as good an idea as any, and he hailed it to the sidewalk. He opened the taxi's door and took a seat in the back of the cab. The drive glanced at his young passenger in rear view mirror.

"Where to, kid?"

"I don't know," he answered truthfully, "just drive." The driver obeyed and pulled away from the curb. Heero watched as the city's skyscrapers rushed past the window. He silently promised Relena, who still slept by Heero's empty bed, that he would come back. He just had to accomplish this one last mission.


End file.
